The Hunt
by SonOfSyn92
Summary: A young Planeswalker from Ravnica hunts down a dangerous monster and follows the beast to the Plane of Innistrad. Here is where he plans to end his hunt for good. OCs. Finally complete, with a little something I hope you'll be excited for...
1. Thane's Peak

"So, this is Innistrad?"

A white-haired man looked on at the Plane he just entered. He'd heard rumors about this place: All the horrific creatures that roam this dark Plane and all the sadistic magic used by dark and insane mages.

The white-haired man smirked as the howls from a nearby wooded area reached his ear. Were the rumors all true? Was this place full of madmen and monsters?

It didn't matter, honestly. He knew this wouldn't be an easy hunt. What are a few other freaks added to the mix? Besides, it would make it that much more fun.

First things first: Head towards the nearest town. Even with all the creatures roaming this Plane, someone would notice the thing he's after…

It took him about a half hour of walking to reach the town. It was large, surrounded by a massive wall being patrolled by a couple dozen men, at least. Judging by the look of the men, the town must've been fairly poor. Two armed men stood at the gate. Their weaponry wasn't the best, but they looked fairly trained, even for peasants.

"Hold stranger." The guards stood their ground, hands on the hilts of their swords. They were cautious, which would affect his mission. "State your business."

The white-haired man opened his cloak, revealing no weaponry. "I am the Planeswalker Roland Colas. I am here to speak to whoever's in charge."

The guards looked at each other, then back at the man claiming to be a Planeswalker. "What information do you seek? If it is mere rumor, you can ask us. The Father should not be bothered."

Father? This was not going to be easy at all. "I am here about hunting some nasty little critters. There is one in particular I am after."

The guards fell silent. One motioned to the gate. It opened slowly, four more men walking from the other side. Roland smiled at the guards, putting his hands into his cloak pockets. "I take it you aren't used to tourists?"

"We are just very cautious, Planeswalker. You would be, too, if you were surrounded by monsters." The guard who answered him pointed towards the other four. "They will lead you to the church. That is where the Father will be."

He followed the guards through the church, looking around as they went. The town didn't seem poor, just simple. Everything up until the blacksmith's shop, at least. At least he assumed it was, because an armory wouldn't be opened up to the public like that. "Guard, why such a big shop? Your men here looked well-armed."

One of the better-dressed men looked back at him. He had a massive scar over his eye, the eyeball itself bright blue while his other eye was green. "The blacksmith also repairs the weaponry of our men. You wouldn't believe how many swords and spears must be fixed after just a night of fighting."

Roland smirked, curiosity filling his eyes. "What exactly do simple peasants have to constantly fight every night?" The Planeswalker looked at another building. It seemed to be a hospital, except it was covered with spikes and a thick wall. "Even dragons don't attack men so consistently."

The scared guard smirked. "Werewolves, stranger."

His curiosity was peaked now. He hadn't been a Planeswalker long, but even more advanced mages never spoke of them. Even in Ravnica, filled with travelers, had no real stories been heard by him. Were there really such things walking around freely?

"Here we are, stranger." Roland looked up at the massive building before him. It was ridiculously big and fancy, especially for a town this small. "The Church of Avacyn, home of Father Gerald and the center of everything here in our town." The guard looked over at him, smirking still. "Keep your spells to yourself. You're being watched by half the men here." He walked away. "Especially me."

Roland sighed, looking at the massive door. "A church as the center of everything?" He shook his head. "This is why I left Orzhov…"

Who knows, maybe this will be different. Orzhov's church was just a political powerhouse, not a real religion. These people didn't seem to be ruled like that. Maybe this was a real church? Only one way to find out.

Roland made his way up to a set of massive doors with two guards standing by. This was definitely the room. The guards eyed him suspiciously. "I am a Planeswalker, here to speak with Father Gerald."

The guards opened the doors and Roland walked in. Inside was a man standing behind a desk, looking through a book. He looked up, smiling. He was an older man, slightly balding. His clothing was simple, proving this wasn't a thing like Orzhov.

"Welcome to Thane's Peak of Gavony, Planeswalker. I am Father Gerald"

"You heard I was coming?" There was no way. He'd just gotten into town and no one was seen running into the church ahead of him.

The older man still smiled, sitting down. "I have my ways." He motioned behind Roland.

Roland turned around to see a young lady standing behind him. If she could even be called a lady. She floated through him and the desk, resting near the older man. "A spirit?"

The older man nodded. "Even in the afterlife, some spirits are loyal to their causes. She is my eyes and ears." He kept smiling. "So, you are here about monsters, Planeswalker?"

"Just call me Roland, Father." He looked around the room. "I've heard rumors about monsters all over this Plane from travelers who visited Ravnica."

"Yes, yes, mostly everything you hear about Innistrad is very true. All sorts of horrible things roam our lands."

"Well, Father, maybe we can help each other out?"

Father Gerald looked at his visitor with interest. "How would you be willing to help us out?"

"It all depends on the information I receive right now."

"What information are you seeking, Roland?"

Roland leaned onto the desk, his face more serious. "I've been tracking a nasty creature for a few years, now. A freak experiment from Ravnica." He looked at his hands. "It's capable of walking from Plane to Plane. I've been everywhere looking for him: Ravnica, Zendikar, Mirrodin, Alara twice… Even Planes no man has even heard of before."

"This sounds rather dangerous. I assume you tracked it here then?"

Roland nodded. "The thing jumps Planes over and over and kills anything in its path. I watched it cut down a dragon without even trying." He pulled his sleeve up, showing a massive scar. "The thing almost took my arm during our first encounter. I left a pretty scar on its leg as payback, though."

"Oh my."

"I need any information on this Plane you can give me. If I can find a place it'd go, I can beat it there and catch it before it jumps again."

Father Gerald looked at the spirit beside him. "Can you fetch me the book?"

The spirit nodded, grabbing a large book. It was covered in gold and bound in green cloth.

"This, young Planeswalker, is the book of Avacyn. It tells the whole history of our Plane. Consider it a gift." He smiled again. "It also contains the most common spells of the mages here in Gavony. I wouldn't trust the summoning spells, though. They haven't worked much since Avacyn left."

"Who's Avacyn, Father?" Roland opened the book. "I have never heard of this woman."

Father Gerald laughed. "Avacyn is the great angel and guardian of our realm. Her power protected us for as long as we can remember."

Roland looked out the nearby window, a scoff leaving his lips. "I don't think it's working anymore."

Father Gerald stood, walking towards the same window and sighing. "Avacyn will no longer answer our prayers. Her symbols of protection have lost their powers. Many believe she has abandoned us…" He grabbed a small pendant that was hanging around his neck, rubbing it with his thumb and pointer finger. "When her protection started wearing off, the creatures of the night began terrorizing the people. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts and zombies… They all stalk the people of this Plane." He sat back down. "Even the mad scientists and insane mages began giving up on Avacyn and began using dark magic most horrible…"

Roland stood up. "I take it that means this whole Plane is fairly twisted then?" Father Gerald nodded, forcing a sigh from Roland's lips. "That means this thing could be anywhere…"

"I can give you anything you may need for your journey, Roland. We may be humble, but we are not poor by any means."

Roland nodded. "I only need a few men who know the Plane."

Father Gerald nodded. "That's a rather simple and humble request."

Roland simply smiled. "I have no need for anything other than the necessities and I only need a guide."

"I can do you one better than a few guides." Father Gerald looked towards the doors. "Guards, go get Captain Reaver." The guard nodded as he left. "Captain Reaver is the best at what he does."

"Can you tell me what it is he does?"

"Simple." Roland looked back, seeing the scared guard walking in. "I kill anything with claws and fangs."

Father Gerald nodded, smiling a bit more. "Captain Reaver is one of our Hamlet Captains. He's fought every type of creature in Innistrad and has killed more werewolves than any man here in Thane's Point."

"You honor me, your holiness." Captain Reaver bowed a bit, then looked down at the sitting Planeswalker. "I take it the Planeswalker is staying?"

"For the time being, Reaver. For now, can you take him to go find Sam?

Reaver bowed then looked back at Roland. "C'mon, let's go."

Roland stood up, bowing back. "Thank you, Father Gerald."

He nodded as the two left. They walked out to the training fields. "You must be hunting something big to be given aid from the Father."

"What can I say? I like the thrill of the hunt."

Reaver laughed. "Sounds like your perfect for Innistrad, Planeswalker." The two walked up to the training circle. A sparring session was going on in the closest circle. "The one with no shield is Captain Sam, the only other captain here in Thane's Point."

"Is he good?"

Reaver smiled as the two watched the sparring couple. The one that Reaver pointed out as Sam was excellent. He had seen no flaws in his technique. "Let me put it this way, Planeswalker…" Sam finished his opponent off then took off his helmet. It wasn't even a he, it was a she. "She's a monster." Reaver laughed and patted Roland's shoulder.

So, this would be his crack team? Roland smiled. "Well, maybe this trip will be fun after all."


	2. Story Time

As Reaver and Sam went out to prepare for the hunt, Roland went around Thane's Peak learning as much about his new comrades.

What Father Gerald said about Reaver was only a small part of the true story. Reaver had been fighting for most of his life, whether during training or actual combat. He even killed his first werewolf at the age of 12. Roland laughed when he heard this. The story was merely a rumor but most if not the entire town believed it. How could a child kill a monster? Werewolves could supposedly tear a grown man apart in seconds. The rumor rocked his mind. He figured he would just have to ask Reaver about it later.

Then there was Sam. Sam was new to Thane's Peak but made a huge impact her first night there. Like any other night, werewolves attacked the town. The only difference that night was that Sam was near the gate and the werewolves weren't paying any attention. Sam killed the first one then lured the others into a nearby barn.

What happened then, you ask? No one really knows. Only some yelps, growls and howls could be heard from the dark barn before Sam walked out, grinning sadistically and covered in blood. When the guards went in to check, all the werewolves were dead. Not just dead but decapitated. Sam had a few scratches, but nothing more.

Yes, he had a very nice team put together for him. They were shrouded in a bit of mystery, but he didn't care. As long as they didn't turn on him any point during the journey, he would be just fine with them.

The beginning of their journey started off slowly. Walking through a small wooded area near the village, Roland just read the book Father Gerald gave him while the other two simply lead the way, their hands on their swords at all times.

"You two can put your guard down a bit, you know." Roland flipped a page. "I could probably take care of anything that comes after us."

"Speak for yourself, Planeswalker." Reaver scoffed. "Most of the mages in our town died saying those exact words."

"I'm not your average mage, you know." Roland looked up just long enough to see Reaver glaring at him. "So I have to ask, Captain. How'd you get that pretty scar on your eye?"

Reaver stopped, looking back at their visitor. "Werewolves. There were two of them. The first one tasted my blade before he could touch me." He twitched at the thought. "The other one scratched my eye before I shoved my dagger into his belly."

"How lovely." Roland sighed. "So, is that what you call your greatest kill or was there a more epic time in your life?"

Reaver smirked as they began walking again, Sam staying silent. "Well, I assume you heard the rumors when you talked to everyone in town about me and Sam here?"

Roland looked impressed. "How'd you know?"

"I'm not the only one with eyes and ears all over town, Planeswalker." He stretched before telling his story. "Before you ask: Yes, the story is true but exaggerated."

"How so?"

"The werewolf had gotten past the guards and attacked a few houses. The last one it attacked had a Hamlet Captain, his wife and his child." He held the hilt of his sword while he told his tale. "The captain fought bravely, but died from a lucky shot from the beast. His wife died next."

"I take it those were someone you knew…"

"Yes, they were my parents. It was sickening how they were torn apart by the beast before it came for me. The damn thing then seen me and charged. I grabbed my dad's sword and held it in front of me." Reaver laughed. "The moron charged right into my blade and killed itself."

"So, that was your first kill?"

"Yes."

Roland looked over at Sam. "What about you? You haven't spoken much."

Sam looked back at him. "I don't like talking when we're in werewolf territory."

"We'll be fine for just a few stories, Sam." Reaver patted her shoulder. "Besides, I'd like to hear about your first kill, too."

Sam scoffed then smirked a bit. "Vampire. It came to my house in the middle of the night. Some damned royal who was probably kicked out of his mansion." Sam closed her eyes, reliving her memory. "I shoved a stake through his heart and a pitchfork through his gut. Then…" She smiled sadistically. "I grabbed my sword and took his head."

The other two just looked at her, shocked by her bloody story. "That's sickening…" Roland smiled. "I love it."

"You never told me that, Sam."

Sam just shrugged. "I mean, I've killed plenty of things. The vampire was just the first intelligent thing." Her smile grew bigger. "There was a zombie horde that found me hunting one night. Would you like to hear about that?"

The two of them responded with different answers. "Anyways…" Reaver attempted to change the subject. Thinking about Sam as a relentless monster made him shiver. "Planeswalker, you need to tell your tale."

Roland looked down at his chest. "Well, it depends on which story you want."

"Your first kill, genius." Sam smirked at him, obviously mocking him.

"It was my old master, Alazar." Roland opened his cloak and pulled open his shirt, showing a sun-shaped tattoo on his chest. "I was a slave in Orzhov when I was younger. I was okay with it, at first. He did not treat me like other slaves." The two looked on at him as he closed his shirt and cloak. "Then he had me kill someone: a small elf girl, another of his slaves. I begged and pleaded with him, but nothing worked. I had to kill her."

"So… That was your first kill then…" Reaver looked down at his feet as they continued walking.

"Yes…" Roland sighed. "I hated myself for it and my master… Alazar… Just beat me and threw me into some cell." He then smiled a bit. "It was in that cell that I awakened to my Spark. I left the cell and ended up in Shadowmoor. It was there a little old hag taught me magic. She never told me her name. She just had me call her 'Hag'." Roland laughed. "She was just weird, I guess. She taught me everything I needed to know, though."

"Let me guess: You went back after your old master?" Sam looked back at him, eyes full of curiosity.

"Not at first. I went back to Orzhov to free slaves, but then Alazar sent men after me. After that, I had to go kill him."

"How did that go?" Reaver's eyes were full of curiosity as well.

"He transformed into a dragon." He opened up his cloak again then pulled his shirt up. Rows of small scars line his torso. "Bit me in the torso and picked me up, flinging me like a ragdoll."

"You survived?" Sam looked impressed.

"Barely. I was able to get off one spell before he did kill me, though." He smirked. "Damnation."

Damnation was a spell used as a black mage's Day of Judgment. It was lethal for everyone.

"We both survived somehow, but I made him transform back into a human. Then, I got up and shoved a Doom Blade down his throat." He put his hand on his scars. "I almost died myself, but thankfully some of his elf slaves knew a bit of healing magic."

"So… You killed your master and freed hundreds of slaves? Very heroic."

"I try." He smiled. "Damned mage deserved everything I gave to him and more."

The team continued onwards, thinking about all the stories they had told to each other. Roland was impressed by his new team now. They obviously had the experience to handle anything that would attack them here on Innistrad. His only worry about them right now was if they'd be alright hunting the thing that had brought them all together…

Nightfall eventually came and the three sat up camp. Around the campfire, all was quiet until Reaver spoke. "Alright, Planeswalker. I think we should know what we're hunting."

Roland smiled. "Where'd that come from?"

"We just need to know, that's all." Sam looked at him with a look of curiosity much like the look she gave when he told his story. "Besides, I like to know what exactly we're hunting." Reaver nodded in agreement.

Roland sighed, playing with a stick in the fire. "The thing we're hunting is… Hard to explain."

"Give it a try, Planeswalker."

Roland threw the stick into the fire. "It's supposedly a shapeshifter. The man who made it refused to give us any more details about it. All I know is that it's strong, fast and can change its body shape at will." He sighed. "It tries to stay in a human form so I've never seen what it really looks like."

"So, if this thing's a shapeshifter then how the hell will we know how to find it?" Reaver looked worried and he had a right to be. The freak was a true threat and Roland knew it.

"It has bright blue eyes no matter what it turns into. Just look for the eyes and stay on guard."

"Just how do we fight something that killed a dragon? I mean…" Sam sighed. "I can't even fight a dragon by myself, you know. If this thing's killing dragons without even trying then…"

"Everything has a weakness, Sam." Roland pulled out a small amulet. "Dragons, angels, demons… Everything can be killed with the right weapons or spells." Roland smirked. "This freak can't be any different. I refuse to let it be…"

"Heh, I'll take your word on it." Reaver stretched. "We'll start our hunt again tomorrow. Now I think we should-"

Reaver's words were cut short by the snapping of a twig. The three of them shot up and were instantly on guard. All was silent for a few seconds then another twig snapped, followed by a howl.

Sam smirked, looking back at Roland. "Ready to meet your first werewolf, Planeswalker?"


	3. The Powers Of Orzhov

The three of them stood their guard, watching all angles. The snapping of branches could be heard all around them.

"There's at least three, maybe more." Sam's blade pointed towards the direction of one of the snaps. "They're fast, but I bet I'm faster." A smirk grew on her lips.

"Sam stop showing off." Reaver held a sword in each hand, one pointing to each side.

Another howl shot from nearby as one of the beasts charged Reaver, another gunning for Sam. Both of the Innistrad soldiers eliminated their prey, small yips shooting from their lips.

Two more shot out, one from the top of the trees, both charging for Roland. He closed his eyes. "Doom Blade." A black blade shot from his hand as he swung, cutting one of the creatures in half. He jumped just before the second could tear his arm off. "Oblivion Ring!" A ring of light wrapped around the second werewolf, both of them disappearing seconds later.

The two fighters looked at their companion. "Black and white?" Sam's smirk grew wider. "Such an odd combination."

Roland smiled. "Orvhov mages are experts on life and death, black and white." His hands radiated auras of white and black. "A complicated balance, but perfect when mastered." He looked down at the three bodies which melted into their human forms. "They really were werewolves…"

"You didn't believe us?" Sam checked one of the bodies then pulled off a piece of jewelry: a small chain with an odd pendant. "I've never seen this symbol before…"

Reaver checked the chain, eyeing it closely. "It's definitely not from Gavony. It's not even from Kessig. So odd…" He slipped the chain into his pocket. "We'll look into it at the next town. Right now, we need to move."

Sam and Reaver went right to packing while Roland checked the body of the werewolf he killed with the Doom Blade. It was a young girl, barely fifteen. His stomach churned at the sight of her dead eyes. It reminded him of the young elf girl…

Reaver put his hand on Roland's shoulder. "She's in a much better place, Planeswalker. The life of those infected with lycanthropy is a dark life." He looked around for a second before grabbing his bag. "We must go now. More will be coming."

The three of them began heading deeper into the forest. Howls could be heard all around them. Was this what it was really like to live in Innistrad? Did they really suffer the attacks of monsters every night?

If it was true, he was surprised that they all lived as long as they have. The werewolves were sickeningly fast. They were smart, too. Always keeping up with them but never getting too close. Roland looked to the side, seeing glowing eyes following them. "They don't give up, do they?"

"They only back off from a hunt if their numbers get cut down too low. We only got three." Reaver was on full alert, hand on his sword. Sam was the exact same. "Their pack is probably massive."

"How big are they usually?"

"Oh…" Reaver looked around him. "Usually twelve or so. This one is a big pack, though. Definitely over twenty."

"They'll tear us apart if we stop." Sam's knives were already drawn. "Even I can't take a pack of twenty."

They ran all throughout the night with the werewolves always on their tail. Sam and Reaver were used to it. They'd been running from such nasty creatures their whole lives. Roland wasn't as used to it, though. He usually was the chaser, not the chased. If he couldn't take some overgrown dogs, how could he take on his true prey?

Roland stopped, turning around and facing the direction of one of the howls.

"Roland, what the hell are you doing?" Sam ran back to him, putting her back against his. It was her training: Never leave an opening for your foe.

Reaver's back shot up against the two of them as well, his sword drawn. "This is no time to be brave, Planeswalker. They could tear us all apart if we let them have the smallest opening…"

Roland looked down the path towards the direction they came from. "Just make sure we live long enough."

"Long enough for what, Planeswalker?"

Roland closed his eyes for barely a second then when he opened them, a massive werewolf stood in the path. It looked like it was smiling. More red eyes quickly followed, revealing many more of these beasts. "Just trust me…"

They charged towards the three travelers, full speed. "Any time now, Planeswalker…"

They got closer to them, all of their heart's racing. "Roland, hurry up!"

Time felt slow around him as he concentrated. He needed to do this at the perfect moment.

"Roland!"

A bright light surrounded them, stopping the werewolves in their tracks. Reaver and Sam looked above them at the source of the light.

Two massive creatures seemed to melt out of the bright light. Both of them were massive and one looked like a powerful soldier clad in shining armor. The other looked dead like a zombie.

"Sun Titan! Grave Titan!" Roland looked up at the monsters that had appeared behind him. "Protect us, please!"

The massive creatures swung their swords, killing werewolf after werewolf. Roland's companions stared in awe at the power of the giants. "I haven't seen anyone summon a creature that big before…" Sam said after blowing an impressed whistle.

Reaver smirked. "That's what happens when you live in a tiny town your whole life. You miss out on some amazing things."

The giants weren't the only ones fighting, either. Roland was bouncing around the battlefield, casting spell after spell. Eventually the werewolves disappeared and with the threat gone, the titans followed.

It was silent again. All the werewolves were either dead or ran for it and Roland stood his ground, smiling back at his companions. "Did you doubt me?"

The two just shook their heads. "Well, let's go." Reaver pointed ahead. "The path is long and we should get to the next town as soon as we can."

"Lead the way, Captain." Roland put his arms down to his sides. Then, a small pendant fell out of his sleeve.

"What's that?" Sam grabbed it with lightning fast reflexes, Roland's eyes getting wide. "Looks like a necklace."

"It's a pendant. It helps me cast my spells." Roland grabbed for it, Sam playing keep away with the young Planeswalker. "C'mon, give it back before we get eaten."

This lasted for a few seconds before the pendant hit a tree, popping open. It wasn't broken, but a latch did come undone. Inside of it was a small picture of a young girl with red hair. She appeared to be an elf.

Before anyone could ask any questions, Roland snatched the pendant and snapped it shut. "C'mon, let's go find another town. I'm getting hungry." Roland shot away, leaving the other two quietly behind.

"Reaver?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"What the hell just happened here?"

"I think you stumbled upon another dark little secret of our little Planeswalker." Reaver just smiled. "Let's leave the poor boy's life alone, though. We all have some things that should stay hidden."

Sam looked down at her feet. "Right…"

The three continued on their way. At daybreak they reached what should've been the next town, but as the daylight revealed, there was only ashes, smoke and charred remains. They stood outside of the gates, letting the reality sink in.

"What happened here?" Roland just looked at the mess before him.

Sam walked over to a small pile of debris near the gate. She knelt over and picked up a piece of armor. It was completely charred. "Sam?" Reaver walked closer to her.

She put her hand out, stopping him. "This isn't any armor that I've seen a Gavony soldier wear…" She handed it to Reaver. As he inspected it, it had a small and unusual mark on it. "That's a mark of the Voldaren family. These are damn Vampires."


	4. The Blond Devil

Sam and Reaver ran into town, looking for any survivors. They were in shock of how much damage vampires could do to a small town.

"They never attack cities like this." Sam explained to Roland. "They never attack in huge groups to take a whole village. This is sickening…"

Everywhere they looked there was no sign of any survivors. In fact, there were no signs of anyone. It was as if the entire town disappeared. There wasn't even a drop of blood anywhere to be found. Sam finally ran out of the church. "There's no one in there, either."

"How does a whole town disappear?" Reaver kicked a pile of debris. "The only thing we've found is damned vampire ash!"

Sam stomped a chest plate, crushing it as if it were made of paper. "Damned vampires!" She pulled out her swords. "We're going after them. They can't be far away."

"Sam, that's suicide." Reaver attempted his best to calm her, failing miserably. "We just need to head over to the other town and let someone else-"

"We can't do that, dammit!" She looked down at the ground, eyes following a small path. "We're the only hope for these people. We need to do this." She charged off in the directions her eyes followed.

"Sam, wait!" Reaver couldn't stop her, no one could. "Dammit!" He looked back at Roland, pulling out his sword. "Planeswalker, you can go ahead of us if you wish. I should be able to catch her before the sun gets too high up."

Roland shook his head. "Let's just follow her. She could be in huge trouble."

Reaver nodded and the two ran off, following Sam as quickly as they could. Eventually, they caught up to her looking at a trail of footprints in the ground. "They've been through here." She looked around. "They have to be in a safe house. There's no way they could've gotten back to their castle with all those people."

"Sam, no one's ever found a vampire safe house. We may as well wait until nightfall and track them then."

Sam dropped her sword, her hand flying back into his face. It connected with brute force, leaving a massive red mark on his face. "People could be dead by then!"

"We really don't have a choice, Sam." Reaver just looked at her, ignoring the growing red mark on his face. "Unless you happen to be a vampire yourself, you aren't finding that damned bloodsucker bunker. Besides, it's almost dark anyways."

Sam looked at the ground, fists clenched. "I hate those vampires. If there's even one corpse, one injury I will kill them all."

"We are not starting a massive war just to quench your thirst for killing vampires." Reaver put his hand on her shoulder. "If we did that, Gavony would have more than werewolves threatening its doorstep and I will not allow that."

Roland, during all of this, was looking around at the footprints. There were plenty there, showing the vampires could've been herding them. The question was, where were they being herded to? The tracks end a few feet down the road and they didn't turn around or go into the woods.

"Roland?" Sam caught him out of the corner of her eye as he began concentrating, his hands glowed a bright white color.

"Just be quiet…" Roland concentrated more, the energy churning the air around him.

"What are you-"

Her question wasn't heard over Roland's scream as he concentrated the massive amounts of mana through his body. Waves of energy spread throughout the area, knocking leaves off of nearby trees and kicking up the dirt on the road. Roland fell to his knees, holding his body where one of his scars was.

"Roland, what the hell was that about?"

Roland just smiled, still holding himself. "Look…"

Sam looked down at the ground in front of the two of them. Her face lit up. It was a trapdoor.

"You did it!" She ran back and grabbed her sword, Reaver following in suit.

"How did you know that?"

Roland smiled a sick smile. He looked pale. "Orzhov slavers did stuff like this before. They hide their trap doors with a spell that can only be revealed with massive amounts of mana…" He looked down at the door. "It suprises me that the vampires here have the same knowledge…"

Sam opened the door. "Well, maybe we can ask them how they did it just before we-"

Her words were cut short as she was thrown backwards, dropping her sword on impact with a tree. Roland and Reaver looked down into the blackness of the revealed tunnel to see three bright red eyes.

Reaver jumped out of the way before a blade sliced his guts open. Two of the beasties charged towards the captain. The third walked up to Roland, sword in hand. Roland tried to stand but couldn't. He was still weak from the massive mana blast.

The vampires were massive. They stood at least six feet tall, maybe more. Their armor was massive, weighing more than any normal human could stand and their skin was pale. The two vampires attacking Reaver had long black hair while the third had short spiky blond hair.

Reaver held his own against the vampires, their swords knicking his clothes but always missing skin. One of the vampires sliced down, hitting a tree and lodging his sword into it. He paid for his mistake as Reaver cut through the arm like butter, making the vampire scream bloody murder.

The second one was luckier, backhanding Reaver hard enough for him to see stars. He was on his back, watching the bloodsucker with blurred vision. It lifted its blade, ready to cut him down. Then, just before it did, it let out a scream and blew up, exploding into ash. Behind the cloud of ash was Sam, a stake in her hand.

The surviving vampire, holding his arm instead of his sword, retreated to the side of the blond who was holding Roland by the throat with one hand. His second hand, wearing a massive gauntlet with claws built in, was free.

"They're definitely Hamlet Captains, my lord." The black-haired vampire was holding his chopped off arm, wincing and sneering angrily. "They are dangerous. We must-"

His sentence was cut short as his throat was ripped out. "You state the obvious and you are missing a limb." The blond smirked. "You are no longer useful to Lady Olivia." A blur seemed to form from where the vampires arm was. It only lasted a second and afterwards you could barely tell the vampire moved. Seconds later the second vampire exploded into ash.

"Wow. That was stupid of you." Sam pointed her stake at the creature who was still holding Roland by the throat.

The vampire just smiled, throwing Roland to the ground. He was alive and breathing, but completely unconscious. "You don't scare me, humans."

Reaver held his blade, standing beside Sam. "I'd fear this fight, bloodsucker, were I alone."

The vampire smirked, stripping off his breastplate. His pale chest and torso was covered in scars of all kind. "Thirty-seven men have had the guts to say that to my face." His smirk grew widely. "Thirty-six of them no longer breathe."

Sam and Reaver looked at each other. "What about the last one?"

The vampire licked his claw clean of the others blood. "He is simply a vegetable now. Only his chest and head aren't rotted."

Sam charged, screaming. The vampire seemed to fade into a blur, shifting out of the way before the stake struck his heart. Sam looked back just long enough to see the vampires' foot smash into her face. Her eyes glazed over before she fell to the ground unconscious.

Reaver held his ground, just watching the vampire. "C'mon, vampire." Reaver pulled out his other sword, pointing them both at him. "Show me what you're capable of."

The vampire smiled evilly before blurring again, disappearing. Reaver stood his ground, watching all around him. The vampire was fast, but he'd be able to see a blur to show where he was moving. Sam would've seen it, too, if she wasn't so clouded in anger.

Reaver's body froze as he felt a breath on the back of his neck. The vampire was behind him. Before he could react the monster took one of his massive claws and dragged it down his back. Reaver dropped. He couldn't feel his legs and his arms were going numb, too.

The vampire lifted Reaver up by his hair and threw him next to his two companions. Four more vampires made their way up from the tunnel just as the body landed.

"Commander?"

The blond vampire smirked, putting his breastplate back on. "They are all alive, barely." He made his way back down the tunnel. "Prepare them for Lady Olivia. They must answer for this."


	5. The Undead Wars Begin

"Roland… Roland, wake up."

Roland's face felt cold, his body numb. He could hear someone saying his name but the voice sounded like it was from a dream. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

He was lying on a stone floor, hands shackled behind his back. Next to him on his left was Reaver who was on his knees, hands shackled behind his back as well. At his right was Sam, who was still unconscious.

"Reaver..? Where are we?"

Reaver nudged his head towards the front of the room. In front of them was a large seat which looked similar to a horrific throne. Next to it was the blond vampire from the attack. In the chair was a young vampire girl swishing around a glass full of red liquid. It definitely wasn't wine.

"Who's that?"

Roland's question was answered with the handle of a sword smacking into his back then being forced to his knees by a guard.

The blond vampire walked slowly down the stairs that led up to the throne. "You will speak when spoken to in the presence of Lady Olivia."

The young girl cleared her throat, causing the vampire to stop in place. "Now, now, Dez. You do not need to be so mean to our guests." She then stood up, hovering slowly down the stairs.

"Dez?"

Roland looked over at his conscious partner. "You know him?"

"Dez, the Blond Devil." Dez bowed to Olivia as she slowly hovered by. Reaver glared at the monster. "He's supposedly one of the best fighters under Olivia's command. I honestly thought he was just some bloodsucker propaganda until last night…"

Olivia snapped her fingers, her guards answering quickly and taking the cuffs off of Roland. "I distrust the other." She looked down at Reaver, her eyes full of disgust. "Humans here always jump to conclusions. But you aren't one of the humans from here, are you Planeswalker?"

Roland looked at his captor. She didn't look very old, but vampires never do, do they? "You know what I am?"

She nodded. "I'm not stupid, young human. You smell of things not of Innistrad." Her finger went towards his mouth, wiping away some blood and licking it off. "You taste different, too." She smiled playfully before she turned away, her voice growing serious. "Now, why did you kill my men?"

Reaver shot up. "They assaulted a small village on the border of Gavony. They took the entire village and herded them like cattle into a safehouse."

Olivia looked over at Dez. "Is this true, Dez?"

"We were planning a raid on a small village, my lady." The blond vampire showed no emotion on his face. "But before we reached the village, we were attacked by these humans here."

"There were tracks leading directly to your safe house, bloodsucker!" Reaver shot up, getting knocked right back down by a nearby guard.

Dez glared at him. "I will not have you disrespect our kind in front of Lady Olivia!"

"Easy, Dez." She smiled at Reaver. "I don't mind the racism from a steak." She licked her lips before looking over at Roland. "If Dez says his men didn't attack, they didn't attack."

"Tell me, then, how an entire village disappeared and ended up torched?"

Olivia looked over at Dez. "We do not use fire, human, and we do not need to snatch whole villages." She scoffed. "Especially Gavony cows." She motioned towards Dez, who drew his blade and held it to Roland's throat. "Now, you must pay for your crimes against the Voldaren family."

"Wait!" Sam finally woke up and she was struggling to stand. "If… If you bloodsucking rats didn't attack the village, then who did?"

Olivia looked over at Dez again. "What do you think, Dez? Are the humans setting us up?"

He looked down into Roland's eyes as if he tried looking into his soul. "These humans truly believe we are at fault." He put his sword away. "Someone is setting us all up, my lady."

Olivia looked at them all with a disturbed look. "No one dares to attack us directly, so they use trickery?" Her fist slammed into a nearby wall, leaving a small crater on impact. "Prepare for war!" She stared directly into Roland's eyes. "If you aren't my enemy, you will aid us."

"Lady Olivia…" Roland figured it'd be best to be polite. "I am on my own mission right now. I am sorry, but if I do not kill the thing I'm after-"

"If you don't help us, I shall let my men feast on your comrades and make you watch." Her tone was in no way cheery.

Roland was silent for a few seconds. "What do you need me to do..?"

"Roland, don't help those-" Sam's words were cut short by a backhanded slap from a guard.

Olivia smiled. "Take my men to the village. Then we will decide who we must kill for this."

It took the guards mere minutes to prepare before heading out. Olivia ordered Reaver and Sam to stay behind in case Roland tried to play her for a fool. They could've used the back-up, though.

The small party of vampires reached the charred remains of the village. What took the group nearly a day to walk from took mere hours for the vampires to get to. They ran around, looking all over for some evidence of something besides vampires.

"Nothing seems to be here, sir." A vampire soldier checked in with Dez, who was watching over Roland. "Only ash and old armor, truly out of date." He handed one of the breastplates to Dez, who inspected it carefully.

"It has the lady's symbol, yet the armor is too light." He crushed it with his bare hands. "This is no vampire armor."

"The armor is the only thing we found here. That's why we believed your clan to be at fault."

Dez looked all around as if sensing the air around him. "You're only human, there's plenty for you to miss around here."

"Like?"

A scout ran up to the two of them. "Captain! We found something." His eyes looked like they were full of anger. "You won't believe what we've found."

The three of them ran into a burnt building deep in the center of town. What they found made Dez's skin crawl.

It was a burnt corpse, or what would've been considered a corpse if it wasn't still moving. It was trapped under some rubble, growling angrily like a trapped wolf.

Roland knelt down, looking at the undead thing. "Zombie…"

Dez stomped on the head of it, splattering it's brains all over. "Necromancers." He looked down at Roland. "Seems we were both played after all, Planeswalker." He grabbed his sword, bolting for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Those damned corpse-humpers are after Lady Olivia and if she dies, so do your friends." He looked back at the Planeswalker for a mere second. "And so do you."

Roland didn't have a choice. He was forced into warfare now and he didn't have a choice on whose side he is on.

It seems like the people of Gavony were right: Avacyn's disappearance is affecting everything on Innistrad.

Would things get worse for the young Planeswalker? Roland smirked to himself.

"At least I'm not bored."


	6. Vampires, Dragons and Skaabs

It had been about a half a day since Roland left with Olivia's men, leaving his two companions at the mercy of Olivia Volderan. Thankfully, she was much kinder than her men, allowing them chairs to sit in. Even if they were completely shackled down to them.

Sam, who finally woke up, hadn't stopped yelling insults at her captors. She almost paid for it once when a guard took a swing at her with his massive sword. Olivia stopped this in just enough time or else it would've ended badly for the young female captain.

Reaver looked over at his captor, watching her take a sip from her goblet. He had a sick feeling as if he knew exactly what was in it. "You going to turn us into supper, too? You know, when all this is said and done?"

Olivia just smiled. "I don't eat soldiers. They're usually too gristly." She just laughed to herself before taking another sip. "As long as Dez tells me you were telling us the truth, we will let you go. We aren't 'complete' monsters here."

"Uh huh, just like you don't like the taste of blood." Sam spat towards Olivia, missing by a large distance.

Olivia just shook her head. "Of course I like the taste. I've been alive longer than both of you combined, I must like it." She smiled a large smile, her fangs shining brightly. "Insult me all you want, but if you spit on my floor again I will cut out your tongue and feed it to Dorian." Her smile was still there, but her tone was far from friendly.

"Dorian? What is that, your pet?" Sam just smirked angrily, fists clenching hard enough to make her knuckles crack.

Olivia just giggled. "It depends on how you define 'pet'." She then floated down next to Sam, grabbing her chin. "I really dislike you, you pathetic excuse for a meal."

Sam bit at her hand, missing barely. "Bite me, you old-"

Sam's comment was cut short by the main doors slamming open, a guard running in. His armor was covered in blood and he was limping. "Lady Olivia! We're under attack!"

She looked back at the guard, a look of anger on her face. "More villagers? Just eat them, captain."

"No, my lady." He lifted his hand, revealing a decayed head he was holding. "Skaabs, dozens of them."

Olivia stood up, stomping her foot violently, having a huge hissy-fit. "Necromancers? I hate necromancers!" She floated up to her throne. "Release the humans! Give them their weapons!"

"But my lady-"

She gave him a look that could've killed. In fact, judging by the guard's face, it nearly did. "It is in the best interest of all of us that we all fight together and kill anything that seems like it wants to eat our flesh." She looked down at her human captors. "Right?"

Reaver nodded. "Of course, Lady Olivia. Sam?"

Sam just growled at the guard. "If you don't let me go now, I'll rip your throat out and shove it up your ass!"

That was enough for the guard. He unlocked both of them. Olivia looked towards the door. A few screams could be heard. "Join my men at the gate. Kill anything that seems like it was thrown together by a madman." She then touched a small stone behind her chair, revealing a hidden passage behind it.

"My lady, what if they break through?"

She just giggled as the door to the passage closed. "Dorian will take care of it. Just keep them busy until he's freed."

The guard nodded, leading Sam and Reaver to the gate.

"So, what is Dorian?" Reaver asked the guard while they ran through the courtyard.

"It's Lady Olivia's pet dragon."

"A dragon?" Sam laughed sarcastically. "Oh, my day keeps getting better!"

They barely made it through the gate before the stench of rotten flesh hit their noses. Skaabs of all kinds were charging the gate or flying overhead. Many vampires were keeping the gate closed while many more were on the other side, fighting the horde.

"We just have to hold the gate until Lady Olivia releases Dorian!" He aided his comrades in pushing on the gate, trying to keep it forced shut.

Reaver looked at Sam. "I know you hate them, but we need to work together now, okay?" Sam just nodded, glaring at the mass of undead horrors before her. "Good, you go up top, just above the gate. Fire arrows at anything big."

"What are you going to do?"

Reaver pulled out his swords. "I'm going to make sure nothing enters this courtyard."

Reaver charged in, pushing himself against the gate like the other vampires. Sam ran up to the top ledge, grabbing a bow and some arrows from a crippled vampire. He grabbed Sam with his good arm, motioning up towards one of the flying skaabs. "Get them. They're fast…" He died moments later.

Sam took his advice, attempting to pick off any flyers that came close to her. A clean headshot sent one plummeting to the ground. A Skaab Ruinator. A very good kill for someone who hates using a bow. She fired off a few more arrows just before a crashing sound was heard below her. The gate had fallen.

Reaver and the other vampires hacked and slashed at the oncoming horde, but it wasn't enough. The first to fall was a vampire, impaled by a long hook. The next had his entire top half bitten off by a Skaab Ruinator. Those were the cleaner kills. Many others guarding the gates were ripped to shreds by the horde, their organs being ripped apart to be feasted on by them.

There were still plenty of vampires, though, and Reaver wasn't ready to give the skaabs anymore ground.

He didn't have to, either.

A massive roar came from above them as the moonlight was blocked. Everyone looked up, even the skaabs, at the massive beast above them: Olivia's dragon, Dorian.

It was a massive and beautiful beast, a dragon not native to Innistrad at all. Its skin looked golden and it flew faster than anything Reaver had ever seen. It was tiny, too. Not much bigger than one of the Ruinators.

That didn't stop it from smashing into the horde, though, sending the smaller zombies flying. This image rallied the vampires, who charged in, shoving their spears and swords into the heads and bellies of any skaab within reach. Even Sam, who was still on the ledge, was inspired by this dragon. She proceeded to land headshot after headshot on her undead attackers.

Sadly, though, this did not stop the masses. Even with Dorian and the newly-rallied vampires, the horde continued pouring through the gate.

"We'll never make it!"

"Keep fighting, cowards!"

"For Lady Olivia!"

Battle cries could be heard all over, along with the anguished screams of the fallen.

Reaver dropped one of his swords, exhausted. They'd been fighting for twenty minutes straight and the horde never stopped. He fell to one knee. "So… This is how I die?"

A Skaab Ruinator stomped up to him, mouth open and ready to chomp. Reaver closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of battle around him. Just when he figured he'd hear the sound of the skaab tearing into his bones, he felt an instant surge of heat. He opened his eyes to see the dragon had burnt the thing to a crisp, leaving little more than ash behind.

He looked over at the dragon, who was staring at him. It had pale blue eyes, like nothing Reaver had ever seen. "I guess I owe you one, huh?"

The dragon seemed as if it nodded before turning and burning a few more skaabs. He just smirked to himself as he grabbed his sword and threw it, impaling one of the beasts through the gut. A nearby vampire finished the bloody kill with an axe to the head.

Just then, a bright light tore through the sky. The sun? No, it couldn't have been. It'd be hours before morning.

Just then, he'd seen a massive blond-haired vampire drop from the sky. Dez had come back. Which meant…

Reaver looked towards the gate, seeing Roland charging through with two Devout Lightcasters by his side. "A little late, huh Planeswalker?"

Roland just smiled, helping up his comrade. "At least I'm here." He then turned towards the horde of zombies and skaabs, smirking. "You'll want to close your eyes."

Before anyone could react, a massive wind picked up, stopping everything on the battlefield. Roland's eyes grew dark, his hands glowing with a black aura. "Now… Die! Plague Wind!"

The massive wind shot through the battlefield, as hard as it could. No one around Roland was affected, but all the skaabs ended up getting shot away, their skin melting off of their bodies.

Roland smirked as the wind continued to blow. Plague Wind, a black spell that killed anything that opposed him.

When the wind stopped blowing, all the zombies and skaabs were destroyed, their corpses gone as well. Dez patted Roland's shoulder. "Good work, steak." He marched towards the manor. "Now, come with us. Lady Olivia must hear about our new enemy."

Roland stopped him. "You said we could leave as soon as we got back. We are back, so me and my companions are-"

Dez grabbed Roland by the throat. "Listen to me, boy." He tightened his grip. "Lady Olivia almost died tonight and I'm still not convinced you had nothing to do with it." He threw Roland to the ground, snarling. "Until our new conflict is settled, you aren't leaving my sight."


	7. Darkness Ascending

Three days had passed since Voldaren's Manor was assaulted by the skaabs and Roland was getting antsy. He'd been locked inside the manor along with Reaver and Sam, forced to sit by and wait while who-knows-what happened on the outside. This "war" that was started had no real reason for even happening. What was the point of the undead monstrosities even attacking?

This wasn't even his biggest concern. His biggest concern was with the horror of the thing he'd been chasing. By now, the trail had gone completely cold of his shapeshifting prey. This made him sweat.

"Dammit, we've been here for three days!" Roland's fist smashed into the wall. "I have a job to do, I can't be here all the time!"

"Calm down, boy." Reaver toyed with his knife. "We could be locked in a cell right now but Olivia was kind enough to not make us go through this."

Sam was in complete agreement with Roland. "I don't want to be here, either. I mean…" She flopped to the floor, avoiding the bed purposely. "If they're going to make us fight with them we should be able to fight!"

"That's not what I'm worried about, Sam." Roland stood up, looking at his locket. "My 'prey' has been running loose here for nearly a week. He could've killed hundreds by now."

"Roland…" Sam attempted to comfort him but before she could, the door opened. It was Dez.

"You three. Outside. Now."

Roland stood up. "Did something happen?"

Dez stayed completely silent, simply motioning them out the door and towards the main hall.

"Something happened…" Reaver was starting to get antsy now, all three of them wondering what all could've happened.

They entered the main hall where Olivia was standing. In front of her was an odd man covered in blood. Olivia smiled. "Any of you know him?" The three shook their heads. "Good." She grabbed the bloody man by the throat, lifting him above her. "He was one of the necromancers to lead the attack on the manor."

"My Lady, we should let him live, long enough to talk at least." Olivia nodded before dropping him.

The man coughed loudly for a second, then smiled. "You won't get a word out of me!" He continued laughing. This only irritated Dez, who grabbed the man by the throat and picked him up higher, his clawed gauntlets leaving holes in his neck. "Okay, I'll tell! I'll tell!"

Dez dropped him. "Works every time."

Olivia walked over to him, motioning the three humans to come closer. "You'll want to hear this, I assume."

As the three walked closer, the man trembled. Dez eyed him evilly. "Tell them all what you've told me." He drew his sword. "Now."

The man shuddered. "With Avacyn gone, everyone's been talking about war." He smirked. "Raven's Wall has already fallen, the wolves are out on full force and the spirits are all restless."

"Sam looked over at Roland, her face pale. "Raven's Wall is one of Gavony's largest strongholds. If it's fallen…"

The necromancer laughed. "That's right! All of your cities will soon fall! All of Gavony will fall!"

Sam was the one who grabbed his throat this time. "What the fuck is going on?"

"I told you." He choked out, still smiling. "It's war. All the clans are out for blood against Avacyn's flock." He smirked. "Even the vampires, all of them except for you." He tried to spit at Olivia, but failed.

Olivia just smiled, making Sam let go of him. "Okay, I've heard enough now." She slashed the man's throat, letting him fall to the ground.

"Is this true?" Reaver eyed the corpse. "Is everyone at war now?"

"Yes." Dez answered for Olivia. "Except it's not just Gavony the vampire clans are after: It's all humans, too. With Avacyn and her protection gone, all the humans are in danger."

"Well, there is one other thing." Olivia smirked. "My clan isn't the only one not massacring humans. Clan Markov isn't, either."

Roland went pale. "Markov..?"

"Yes, boy." A voice boomed from behind him. Roland spun around to see the vampire Planeswalker, Sorin Markov behind him. He smirked, showing his teeth. "How long has it been, Roland? Zendikar, I presume?"

Roland shook. Last time Sorin was around he nearly got eaten by an Eldrazi. "Yeah, Zendikar sounds right…"

"Relax, this won't be as bad as last time." His smirk faded. "Sadly, something has made Avacyn leave Innistrad. The question is what?"

Roland looked down at his locket again. "When did all the trouble start…"

Sam looked at him. "It's been almost a month, why?"

He clenched his locket. "That's when it supposedly arrived here…" He bolted for the door, Sorin grabbing his arm.

"Roland, where are you going?" Sam grabbed his arm, too, trying to hold him down.

"I need to kill that thing, now!" He tried harder to get away. "It's my fault, it has to be!"

Sorin forced him to sit down. "Even if it is, you cannot change that. Now relax before I make you relax." Again, Roland shot for the door. This time, Sorin pinched a small spot on his neck, dropping him effortlessly.

Sam looked at him, horrified. "What did you do?"

Sorin laughed. "Relax, he'll be fine in a few hours." He pulled out a map of Innistrad, letting everyone around him see. "The vampire clans are all spreading out, thinned out but powerful. Same with the necromancers."

"So we just have to beat all of their asses?" Sam punched her palm. "Easy."

"Relax, kid." Reaver patted her shoulder. "We can't just wipe them off the face of the Plane."

Sorin nodded. "He's right. There needs to be a balance in power, otherwise nothing will be right on Innistrad." He eyed the map closely. "We must bring Avacyn back and avoid as many casualties as possible. I promise you, though, the heads of the vampire houses will roll for this."

The realization of all of this was finally setting in on Sam. This wasn't just a grudge or simple racism driving everyone in Innistrad: It was a power struggle that no one would win. "What'd happen if one of the sides did win?"

"The balance of our world would be destroyed and, eventually, even they'd die off." Sorin grabbed a dagger and stabbed the map. "There's something here in Innistrad that does not belong. If the people of Innistrad kill themselves off, this thing can finish them with little resistance."

Reaver looked down at Roland, who was still unconscious. "Is that the thing he's hunting?"

Sorin just sighed. "I have no idea. Either way, we must bring Avacyn back and kill this monster." He looked at everyone around him. "I'll need all of your help to do this."

Reaver nodded. "Count me in."

"Me, too." Sam yet again punched her palm. "I'm not letting my people get killed off by these tyrannical bloodsuckers."

Olivia also nodded. "I will not allow my people to be zombie food. You have my full support in this war."

Dez put his fist on his chest. "I would be honored to give my life for this cause."

"Good." Sorin just smiled at Roland. "I'll assume he will join us as well, since this may be his prey he's been after." He looked at the rest of the group. "I will also assume you three will be joining me?"

Reaver, Sam and Dez nodded. Olivia looked at her throne. "Sadly, I must stay behind to keep the peace here. However, I still can help." She handed Sam a small whistle. "Whenever you need help, blow this whistle."

"Why me?" Sam looked at the small trinket. It had a blood-red ruby embedded in it. "I'm not one of your precious vampires."

Olivia just smiled. "You love your home as much as I love mine. Consider this a… Peace offering between us and your home."

Sam nodded after a few seconds. "Thank you." Olivia just nodded back, still smiling. "But… What does it do?"

"You'll see when you need it." Olivia yawned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I am tired and the sun will be up soon."

As Olivia made her way to her room, Sorin looked at the group again. "You all need to rest as well. Starting tomorrow night, we will begin our journey." Everyone nodded then headed to their respective rooms, Reaver picking up Roland and taking him with him. Sorin just stood there at the table, staring at his dagger which was still embedded in the map. "I will not let the darkness ascend on my home. I will stop this."


	8. Black Days Begin

_Roland's Log:_

_ It's been a week since the attack on Voldaren Manor and my lovely reunion with Sorin Markov. With his return, Reaver, Sam and I have been thrown into a war for Innistrad's survival. Is what Sorin said to be true? Could this entire Plane be wiped off the face of existence if the balance isn't held?_

_ Either way, this Plane's fate is sealed if the abomination I was initially after is left unchecked._

_ That is something else that worries me… Could it be that the shapeshifter is the reason for Avacyn abandoning the Plane? Right now, I cannot say. It already has obtained many powers from many great foes… I fear that the power of this angel would make my job much harder if it fell into the hands of my prey._

_ I can only pray that Avacyn can be found before Innistrad falls into pure chaos. It's only been a week since we've been on the move but we've already seen many horrific things with our eyes. We need to hurry and find Avacyn. And I need to find the shapeshifter and put an end to my nightmares…_

A week. It's only been a week since the group left Voldaren Manor and already everything has gone to hell. The very first town they passed had been devoured by something. Judging by the injuries on the bodies, it looked like werewolves. Dez shook his head at the sight. "I've fought hundreds of battles over the decades… But I've never seen anything like this."

Sam spat on the corpse of a human impaled by a sword, assuming it to be a werewolf. "This kind of thing happens all the time, bloodsucker. You're just on the other end of it most of the time."

"Do not start fighting now." Sorin knelt down, examining the body of a holy man. "This was one of the priests that guarded the town." He looked around. "There are only three others. The rest must have left…"

Roland looked all around him. He never even seen this kind of horror on Ravnica and his master was the worst man he'd ever met. "Not even Orzhov priests would leave their people for dead like this…"

"Fear makes men do terrible things." Sorin stood up, heading for the gate. "We must move on. We need to try to make it to the next town before it's attacked as well."

This pattern continued for the next few days. Town after town, they would find it attacked, all of its residents either dead or gone. Finally, though, the group found a small farm town.

Reaver took a deep breath. "Farmland, the freshest air around." He nudged Sam. "Bring back memories?"

Sam shrugged. "Everything brings back memories. I'm weird like that."

The group walked past the town's wall. Immediately, they were stopped by a dozen Hamlet Captains. "Leave now, vampires."

Sorin stepped to the front of the group. "I am Sorin Markov, founder of the Church of Avacyn. I humbly request you let us speak to your leader."

The Captains looked at each other, putting their swords down. "Our apologies Planeswalker. You may pass, but your friends cannot. Not until the Mayor says otherwise."

Sorin looked back, smiling. "I'll be right back. They are probably just weary of strangers right now."

It took about twenty minutes before a guard came to them, allowing them into the town. "You're ordered to meet up with the Planeswalker at the Mayor's office."

And so, they went. Once there, the group found a very stern mayor and Sorin. He looked extremely upset for some reason. "You need to hear this. Continue your story, Mayor."

The mayor cleared his throat. "We've been attacked several times the last few night, some vampires and some werewolves. The odd thing was, some of them seemed to be working together."

Reaver was the first to speak. "What do you mean 'together'?"

"I mean together. Their attacks are coordinated perfectly. I've lost several good men holding them off."

"If these vampires have joined a group of werewolves, we have a huge problem." Sorin sighed. "It means this vampire clan has gotten desperate."

Roland looked at a map on the mayor's desk. It had red X's through all the towns attacked the last few weeks. "It looks like they're attacking in a straight line."

The mayor nodded. "That's what we noticed. They're cutting through a straight path to the heart of Gavony and aiming for the bigger cities." He pointed at the map near Nephilia. "Same with the necromancers."

"It looks like we have a huge problem." Roland sighed. Then he noticed a few X's out of the way. "What are these for?"

"Those are villages that have been attacked by an unknown entity. I sent a few men to investigate, but they didn't find anything. It was like the whole town was wiped off the face of existence."

Roland just stared at the X's. "Where is this area, Sorin?"

Sorin answered immediately. "Those towns are surrounding one of Avacyn's old chapels."

"What kind of mana flows through there..?"

Sorin knew what Roland was getting at. "Black and white."

Roland eyed the X's even closer now. "That's where I need to go…"

"You mean the thing you're after?" Sam looked down. "You can't go alone, Roland…"

"Sam's right." Reaver put his hand on Roland's shoulder. "We need to all go together and if it's been there for the last week, it'll stay longer."

Roland just looked at them for a few seconds then sighed. Sorin snapped his fingers, immediately getting his attention. "We will deal with the two main threats of Gavony , first. Then we will find the shapeshifter."

Roland didn't question this. He and Sorin had met each other on Zendikar years ago and Sorin taught him much about black magic. He respected him more than any other Planeswalker he'd encountered. "As you wish."

Sorin nodded then looked back at the mayor. "Do you think you'll be attacked again tonight?" The mayor only nodded. "Then we will stay. I want to see this clan who's joined the wolves."

Everyone nodded in agreement except for Roland, who couldn't take his eyes off the X's near the old chapel. _I know you're there… _Roland kept his thoughts to himself, playing with his pendant. _I'm going to get you…_

Now the town was preparing for the night's fight. Roland was alone in the mayor's office, reading old spell books. He was always interested in learning new spells. In this way he was like a Planeswalker he met back on Zendikar: A young man dressed completely in blue. He smirked at the thought of that Planeswalker. "Wonder how he's doing?"

Then a knock on the door got his attention. It was Sam. "Hey, can we talk?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

Sam sat beside him, sighing. "I know you're upset about the shapeshifter."

That got Roland playing with his pendant again. "I'm fine. I'm just ready to even up the playing field so we can deal with it."

They were quiet for a minute, then Sam spoke again. "So, you going to tell me what the pendant's for?"

Roland just looked down at it. "It's just a memento from Ravnica. It was my old master's…"

"That must carry bad memories… Why do you keep it?"

Roland just smirked. "Because it carries bad memories." Sam was confused. "The pendant was designed by an artificer on Ravnica to amplify your emotions, affecting the ability to use mana."

"Can you speak English, please?" Sam smiled playfully, trying to understand.

"Basically, the bad memories its holding gives me strength." He opened the pendant again, looking at a picture inside. He then immediately closed it. "Those memories remind me why I became a Planeswalker. They drive me…"

"Why did you become a Planeswalker..?"

Roland looked her dead in the eyes for the first time. "To protect people from what I've been through."

It was silent for a long while, then another knock. It was Reaver. "It's almost night time."

The two nodded then Reaver left. Sam stood up, punching Roland's shoulder. "C'mon. It's time to beat some undead ass." She smiled her evil smile then left the room.

Roland smiled for a second then looked out the window. "I became a Planeswalker to protect people…" He nodded to himself as he walked out the door. "It's time I proved that."


	9. Fallen Friends, Sad Goodbyes

By the time they had reached the gates, the battle had begun, Reaver leading the defenses.

The sight they had seen was not what Roland or the others had been expecting, though. Expecting a horde of werewolves, the small town met a more dangerous foe: Vampire raiders.

Sorin was cutting through them, enraged by seeing his fellow vampires perform such horrible acts against the humans. Sam quickly darted past Roland, swords drawn and ready for a fight. The vampires weren't easing up, though. They fought like maniacs, slamming through many of the untrained guards with ease. That would be when they met up with Dez and soon meeting their end afterwards.

A light shined around Roland as an angel shined behind him. He looked up at the majestic being: A Serra Angel. "Would you be so kind?"

The angel nodded, flying into the battle without delay. Roland followed quickly behind, muttering spells as he went forward. Several vampires fell to their knees, grabbing their heads as if something was tearing out of their skulls.

He soon caught up to Sam, who was soaked in blood with a smirk on her face. "Finally you showed. I got seven of them already."

Roland laughed. "I just killed five running up hear."

"Show off." Sam shoved a sword through the skull of a charging vampire, killing it instantly.

Roland was met with similar opposition, ending their lives differently. "Mortify!" The vampires dropped immediately.

A massive roar could be heard from closer to the woods, many of the vampires backing off. One of the guards on the wall yelled. "Demon!"

Roland jumped to the top of the gate, looking out to the thing the guard yelled about. It was a demon. A big one.

It was a Demonlord of Ashmouth, a massive beast with a bull skull ornamenting its head. It charged forward, slaughtering several humans as it passed with ease.

Roland didn't waste a second, jumping from off the gate out to the open area where the demon was. If it were to enter the town, too many innocents would be slaughtered. He wouldn't allow this.

"Die!" Serra Angel charged the demon, getting smacked out of the way quickly. It almost brought a massive fist down upon Roland's head, but barely missed thanks to a lucky spell.

Roland ran off, away from the battle, trying to lead the demon away as well. Sadly for him, it worked. The demon charged as it let out a noise that sounded like a laugh.

Roland turned around to face the demon. Now that he was far enough away from the battle, it shouldn't hurt too many more people. A bright light shined, surrounding him. "You want to play?" The light formed behind him, almost seeming to make a pair of wings. "Let's play."

The demon charged as another light shined. It formed into a sword in Roland's hand. He stabbed at the demon, hitting it in the shoulder. The demon punched him with its good arm, launching Roland for a split second before correcting himself with his wings.

Roland then used his wings to launch himself forward, tearing through the demon. Partly because of the sword and partly because of the power the wings gave him, he was able to cut clean through the demon, splitting it in half. The wings and sword disappeared as he sighed a small sigh of relief. "That was a close-"

He then felt a massive force hit him violently. His vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared up, he seen a massive vampire holding what appeared to be a giant club. "Stupid human." The thing smirked as it brought its hammer down.

Time seemed to slow down as Roland watched the vampire's motions, his life passing before his eyes. _Is this it? Am I dead?_

He felt something seeming to push him out of the way, the sound of a violent impact echoing beside him.

He could hear Sam's voice in the distance. "Reaver! No!"

Roland looked beside him, seeing Reaver's body lying next to him, the vampire's club on his chest. Reaver was coughing up blood.

Reaver looked up as the vampire reared its arm back, readying for another swing. His efforts would be in vain.

Sam jumped up on the vampire's head, embedding her sword into its spine as she cursed several obscene words. The vampire thrashed, but missed horribly. Sam made it pay for this as she pulled out her other sword, embedding it into its eyeball. The vampire fell backwards, dying almost immediately.

Sam then went to Reaver's side, Roland's vision still blurry. "Dammit, Reaver, what did you do?"

Reaver tried to laugh but couldn't, only making himself cough up more blood. "Shut up, kid. We knew someone would be dying."

"Fuck that." Sam's eyes were filling with tears. "You aren't dying on me, dammit!"

Reaver just smiled. "Shut up." He looked over at the vampire. "You did good, kid. Make sure you take care of that stupid Planeswalker." He coughed up more blood, flipping off the corpse of the vampire near him. "I'll see you in Hell, you son-of-a…"

Reaver closed his eyes, falling limp into Sam's arms. Roland crawled over to Sam's side as she began crying violently, holding her dead mentor close to her.

As the sun rose, the battle had been won, but the price was great. Many men died, along with a comrade. The bodies of every man were buried, Reaver's body buried personally by Sam. She wouldn't leave his grave the whole day, simply looking down upon the freshly dug patch of earth.

Roland walked up next to her, breathing roughly. Several ribs were broken in the night before. "I'm sorry, Sam…"

Sam wouldn't look at him. She just kept looking down at the grave. "He shouldn't have died. He didn't deserve that…"

"He just wanted to defend us, Sam. I think he'd-"

Roland felt the back of her hand on his face. "What would you know? You didn't know him! You didn't know a damn thing about him!" Roland looked down at the grave, refusing to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"We need to end this war…"

"How..?"

Roland put his hood up. "I'm going after her."

Sam grabbed his arm. "You can't do that. We need you."

"No, you need Sorin. He knows what's happening here and he knows the area." Roland looked down at the ground as he walked off. "I'm just a Planeswalker passing through."

Roland and Sorin were soon sitting inside of one of the inns, Roland looking distraught. "You sure you want to do this, Roland?"

He nodded. "I need to. If she's the reason for this mess…"

Sorin chuckled a bit. "She isn't. It is another Planeswalker, boy. Even you should know that a shapeshifter can't do something this elaborate."

"If that's true, then-"

"The Planeswalker Liliana Vess. Trust me, your sins are not the ones bringing Innistrad to its knees."

Roland sighed. "Then, what are you going to do?"

"Take care of the mess." Sorin stood up, grabbing his sword. "I will be heading towards the Helvault. A scout said a large human force was heading towards there."

"Will you be alright?"

"Of course, boy." Sorin smirked. "You want to take anyone with you?" Roland shook his head. "Then you should say goodbye to them."

The next morning, Roland said his goodbyes, beginning with Dez. The two shook hands. "Good luck, Planeswalker. May Avacyn walk with you."

Roland nodded as the vampire walked away, Sam walking up from behind him. "Are you sure you want to do this..?"

"Sam, I need to. Even if it isn't the reason for Avacyn's disappearance, it still needs to answer for its sins."

Sam hugged Roland, holding him tight. "You can't die. You know that, right…"

Roland hugged her back, a reaction she wasn't expecting. "I don't plan on it." He pulled her face up, smiling. "I'll be back to prove it."

The two paused, awkwardly silent and just looking at each other for a short amount of time. Finally, Sam pulled away. "I'll be at Thane's Peak. You better be there." She smiled, walking away slowly.

Roland simply watched her walk off, sighing. "God, I must be an idiot."

He then looked towards the south, in the direction which the old temples were standing. The temples where his prey would be.

It was time. No more politics, no more wars and no more running. He would end this and he would end it here on Innistrad.


	10. The Face Of His Nightmares

Nothing felt right. It hadn't since he left the others on their assault against the vampires. Now they were marching on the Helvault without him.

The thought of this killed him, thinking that whatever he did would be wrong. He had to choose the greater of the two evils to fight, though and the greatest of the evils is the shapeshifter.

Roland looked up at the dark skies as he forced himself forward, knowing that the darkness was an omen of things to come. What made matters worse was what he heard. Ever since he arrived on Innistrad, the sound of wolves or battle roared through the land, but now he could only hear himself move through the woods to his destination. Everywhere else was silent.

Was this the sound of the Plane preparing for the end? No, he couldn't think like that. No matter what would happen, this Plane would survive. The people of Innistrad are strong and resilient and even if things would go from bad to worse, he would show up. He would be there for the final confrontation as long as his prey was destroyed before then.

That was his priority, though. His prey must fall. He must pay for his sins.

A rustling sound came from behind him, the first sound made by someone other than him since he left Sam and the others.

He struck out, a wave of black magic shooting from him and slamming into the source of the sound. No body fell after the impact, though. Instead, a loud moan roared from the forest as a broken body limped towards him, revealing itself: a zombie.

Soon, the unhallowed moans of dozens of the undead seemed to ring out around him and, to his dismay, under him.

He couldn't stop though, he had to move. As he did, his mind was not on the hordes of undead swarming him. It was only on the shapeshifter and how he needed to end its horrible life.

He never stopped running, not for the rest of the night and the following day. His feet carried him forward, forcing him onward.

Finally, over the horizon, he could see it; the sigil of Avacyn. He was finally at the lost church, the place where, as Sorin stated, was a source of massive amounts of black and white Mana.

He did not slow his pace, though. Throughout the night, the zombies had followed him, relentless in their chase. They were very hungry and were planning on making him dinner.

Roland launched himself forward, turning around mid-air and concentrating massive amounts of white Mana. The sun broke through the darkness, piercing the foul, rotting creatures below. As the clouds covered the sun once again, the zombies were once again dead on the ground, their stink still covering the land around the church.

Roland sighed, wiping dirt off himself. As he did, a breeze blew past his ear, sounding like words from a dark, beautiful and dangerous voice. The words rang out, "Catch me…"

Roland turned around to see the doors to the church wide open, pure darkness inside. He could only stare into the vast emptiness, his imagination running wild. Was his prey really inside? If it was, had it been waiting for him this whole time? Was the shapeshifter really the prey or was he…?

"Holy hell, you caused a mess."

Roland didn't have to turn around to recognize the voice from behind him. "Sam, what are you doing here?"

She stood beside him, looking into the church as well. "I couldn't let you do this by yourself, duh." Any trace of a smile on her face faded as they continued to stare into the church. "Is this where it is?"

Roland didn't even nod, didn't even blink. "Shouldn't you be fighting with Sorin?"

She shook her head, her eyes locked on the shadows. "He'll be fine. He has an entire Plane on his side, after all." She grabbed ahold of his arm. "I'm more worried about you."

He closed his eyes, smiling a small smile. "Idiot." He walked forward, his locket now in one of his hands. Sam didn't respond to this, merely catching up to him as they continued into the shadows.

As they both crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind them, the candles seeming to light themselves. They looked around at the empty church. It was small, filled with dust. It had obviously been abandoned for a long time. These details did not catch their eyes, though. What caught their eyes was a hooded figure dressed in black, crouched on top of Avacyn's sigil.

It dropped to the ground, landing without a sound. Though they could not see its face, they could feel it was staring them both down. Its sleeves were long, covering its hands with plenty of room to spare, hiding what could have been anything.

This was it: The shapeshifter.

Silence fell over all of them for a few seconds before an unknown voice rang out from the hooded figure. It was the voice of a young woman.

"Roland the Twilit, we meet again…" Roland did not move a muscle. His entire body was frozen. The shapeshifter moved forward and as it grew closer, its blue eyes began to shine through the darkness of its hooded face. "There's no need to be shy," The figure lowered its hood, revealing the face of a familiar elf girl, the same girl that haunted Roland's dreams, "Lover."


	11. The Truth

"Don't call me that."

The elf stared at him, her smirk still covering her face.

Sam inched closer, a look of confusion on her face. "Roland, what's going-"

"Sam, just go." Roland stared down the elf, none of them making a move.

"But…"

"Sam, just go! Now!" His words sounded cold, though he did not mean them to be.

"No…" She shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving you-"

The elf's fingers snapped, cutting off her sentence. As the sound echoed through the church, Sam's eyes grew white and lifeless. The same happened to her body as she fell to the ground.

"Sam!" Roland bolted for his downed companion. Another snap happened, a wall of bones shooting up from the floor. He turned back around, his face full of worry for his friend and hate for the shapeshifter. "What did you do?"

"I only gave us the privacy you so wanted, Love."

A black aura shot from his hand, slamming into her violently, a black cloud forming around her. "Don't call me that! You aren't her!"

The smoke dispersed, revealing his target to be unscathed. She continued to smirk. "Don't deny what you know to be true." She stepped forward a few steps silently as if she was floating. "You know for a fact that I am your love, Roland."

An aura of black and white light shimmered off of him. "Enough of your games, Shapeshifter. We end this now."

The elf shrugged, letting her robe fall off, revealing metallic, skin-tight armor covering most of her body. "You know how this ends, Love." She walked closer to him, an aura of the five mana colors shimmering off her skin. "It will end with you nearly unconscious and me getting away yet again."

"No, I plan on killing you now, you monster."

She cracked her neck, the aura around her getting brighter. "I will not kill you Love, but I will defend myself." Suddenly, her aura grew black and with a snap of her fingers walls of bone shot from the floor. There was no escape this time.

This was exactly how Roland wanted it.

Before he could react, though, the elf's aura turned green as she snapped her fingers, thick fog covering the entire church, her laugh echoing through the building. "You're stupid, you know that?"

"What do you mean, freak?"

He tried to listen for her movements, but her steps were too light. A red flash of light shined, soon after a lightning bolt slammed into him, sending him flying into a wall. He was dazed, but her could hear her words: "You've spent years hunting me through Plane after Plane and yet you have no idea what the true danger is."

"What are you talking about?"

A blur flashed before him, the elf grabbing his neck and lifting him into the air. She snapped her fingers with her free hand, blue light shining off her skin. He was immobilized by this.

She put her mouth next to his ear, whispering to a point where it was barely audible: "You can't feel it? You can't feel the darkness that is coming?" She dropped him, snapping her fingers once again, the fog clearing. "Roland, you must be able to feel it; the darkness that is spreading throughout the Multiverse." She knelt down to his body, still immobilized from her spell. Slowly she leaned her head close to his.

Before she could say anymore, Roland forced a whisper out: "Why…? Why don't you stop these games and kill me…"

She touched her forehead to his, a shushing sound leaving her lips. Suddenly, his eyes grew white and his mind grew dark.

That's when he felt it.

It was a sensation he had never felt before; one similar to hate, fear and agony yet far worse. It was a feeling to true evil…

That's when a vision came to him: He could see a world of mountains, swamps, plains, forests and islands all living in harmony. Then a black shadow began covering the world and eventually nothing could be seen. As the shadow fell over the world, everything fell out of harmony into chaos and before the last of the darkness covered the world, the last thing Roland seen was a world of pure evil. It was then that a symbol Roland had never wanted to see again appeared before him: It was a circle with a vertical line going through the middle of it, the symbol of a force known to Planeswalkers all too well.

It was the symbol of Phyrexia.

The vision faded and reality set back in around him, his body still immobilized. He could see the elf before him. No smile was on her face this time. A look of seriousness covered her face. "Phyrexia has returned, you know that, but what you don't know is they have a new weapon…"

"Weapon…?"

The elf looked down at him as she stood up, opening a tear in reality. On the other side of the tear he could see a whole new world, though which one it was he could not be sure. "Goodbye, Roland," As she stepped through the tear, she stopped, turning back around to look at him, "I love you…"

Then she was gone, the tear closing behind her. Still immobilized, Roland could not move and could not follow her. His hunt was over.

His head dropped, a lump in his throat growing. It was then he seen something he hadn't seen in a long time: A small ring, one he'd given to a love of his during his time in Ravnica.

He closed his eyes, holding his tears back. "I'm sorry, Lynara…"


	12. Mission Impossible

It took nearly a day for a rescue party to break through the walls of bone and rescue Roland, who was still paralyzed from the shapeshifter's spell.

Now he was in a hospital bed in Gavony, most of the chaos from the battle already gone and Avacyn's light shining over everything. The world was at peace again, the vampires who lead the attack having paid for their crimes.

Now Roland sits in the hospital across from Sam, both of them recovering from the spells that were casted on them.

Sam looked on at Roland, who was deep in thought. "You okay?"

Roland just nodded a small nod. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

There was only silence for a few seconds, Sam having no clue what to say. "Do you need to talk about it..?"

Roland was quiet for a bit then finally spoke. "Remember the elf girl I told you about..?" Sam nodded quietly. "We had more of a history than I admitted to…" He looked down at the ring he was given, still holding onto it tightly. "She... Lynara... Was supposed to be my wife… My master did not like this so he had me…"

"Why didn't you tell us..?"

"I thought she was really dead. I still do. But now I'm not so sure…"

"You mean the shapeshifter is…"

"I don't know, but knowing my master I can't doubt it…"

There was complete silence for a few minutes, the awkward reality setting in: He'd spent the last five years attempting to kill his fiancée.

He sighed, still holding tears back. Finally, he shook his head finally, attempting to change the subject. "There's more; she showed me something, a vision…"

"Of what..?"

Roland clenched his fist. "The end of everything… Phyrexia."

Sam's skin went pale. Everyone knew the stories of Phyrexia, no matter what Plane you're from. "What are you going to do about it…?"

"I don't know…" He was being honest, too. He had no idea what to do. Was she lying, attempting to trick him? Or was she telling him the truth and there really was something that could threaten the Multiverse on New Phyrexia?

"You need to go, Roland…"

He looked up, a confused look on his face. "Sam…?"

"I don't mean now, stupid." She slowly began standing up, walking over to his bed. "I mean when you're feeling better. You have to go make sure nothing bad is happening."

Roland scoffed. "It's Phyrexia, Sam. Something bad is always happening."

"That doesn't matter." She sat next to him on his bed, holding his hand in hers. "You're a Planeswalker. It's like your duty to do this, isn't it?"

"Yeah… I guess so."

She leaned down closer to him. "So as soon as you feel better, you go and kick some ass for me, ok? Don't you dare let anything leave that Plane, or else I'll beat you down myself."

He laughed a bit at her comment. It was the first time he'd laughed since Reaver's death. "Okay, I will."

The two were then silent, looking at each other, a moment happening between the two of them.

"Sam, I-"

His words were cut off when she kissed him, his eyes open from shock. As she pulled away, she smiled. "Shut up, Planeswalker. If you're just passing through, I need to make this time alone count."

Roland smiled a small smile, this time going in for a kiss himself. She was right. If he was going to leave soon, they needed to make this time together count. So that's exactly what they did…

That morning, Roland and Sam had their painful goodbyes. His last words to her were of love and a promise to come back soon. As he left her side, he continued on his way, finding a spot out of the way to make sure no one would follow him through to New Phyrexia.

He found a small opening in the edge of the woods to do so. As he prepared to leave, he stopped, feeling a presence near him. "Been here long?"

It was Sorin, bruised and covered in blood, but alive. "Yes, since I heard about your experience at the church. I knew you'd come somewhere private to leave and I picked the most likely spot."

"Smart." He turned around, facing the vampire Planeswalker. "What do you need?"

"A little birdie told me you're heading into New Phyrexia."

"You can't stop me-"

"I don't want to, my friend." He put his hand on Roland's shoulder. "I am simply here to wish you luck and give you one last bit of advice."

"That is…?"

"Find allies before you head there. You will need them."

Roland lowered his hood. "Will you come?"

"I have to clean up the mess here still." He looked through the clearing towards Gavony then looked back at him. "I promise as soon as I am done, though, I will come to help."

Roland nodded, putting out his hand. "Take care of yourself, Sorin."

The vampire shook his hand. "You too, Roland."

Roland then left Innistrad that morning, leaving behind yet another friend he had made in his journeys.

This time, though, he did not leave for a hunt.

This time, he left for something much bigger.

He left to prepare for war.


	13. Prepare For War

_Dedicated to Ulquiorra9000, my biggest reviewer to date._

* * *

><p>Roland stared from atop of a hill, looking down at the wasteland before him. It was covered with the bones of warriors from a war that should never have happened against an enemy that should never have survived. The Plane was twisted now, only known to Planeswalkers and survivors of the war as…<p>

New Phyrexia.

Once it was the beautiful metallic Plane of Mirrodin, before the Phyrexian Oil contaminated the core of the planet. Now, it is but a wasteland controlled by the Praetors: Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite; Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur; Urabrask the Hidden; Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger; Sheoldred, Wispering One.

And to make matters worse, the Praetors now have a new weapon in which to infect the rest of the Multiverse and bring it to its knees, or so the shapeshifter… Lynara… had said to him that fateful day on Innistrad.

Roland's body trembled at the sight of the world below, knowing full well that, weapon or no weapon, New Phyrexia was a threat and it had to be taken care of.

"So…" A mysterious elf walked up next to him, arms crossed with a large white wolf at his side. "This is it?"

"Yes."

"What are we waiting for, then?"

Roland smirked, snapping his fingers. As he did, a massive rip in the reality of the world appeared, dozens of creatures appearing: Men and women, dragons, angels, demons, vampires, elves, goblins…

This was Roland's army.

It was made with one purpose…

War.

* * *

><p><em>Prepare for war.<em>

_August 2012_

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